U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined Gov. Bob McDonnell on the radio this morning to talk about the need for greater flexibility in the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind .

In a joint appearance on WRVA, Duncan said there are a number of aspects of the federal education law that the administration wants to fix, working with McDonnell and others.

Duncan said the law was too punitive and took much of a top-down from Washington approach. The goal in the reauthorization is to reward excellence and provide more flexibility, he said.

"Washington can't, Washington shouldn't micromanage these schools," he said.

He went on to compliment McDonnell for "providing great leadership not just for the children of Virginia but his voice is really starting to impact and influence this education debate nationally."

McDonnell said that the state is interested in how to have the re-upping done in a way "that really makes sense for Virginia."

"The focus on innovation and flexibility for the states and most importantly, to elevate the level of the standards, is very important," he said.